Device for supporting branches of trees



,Juy 2, 1929. A. c. Mfmmmw LTMMEWE DEVICE-FO-R SUPPORTNG BRANCHS 0F TREES Filed Jun@ 4Q 1929 Tffg Syngenta@ vun Patented July 2, 1929.

PATENT oFFlcE.

ADELBERT oswALD MUELLER, or rnnsno, sorrrn nnirofra.y

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING BRANCHES F TREES.

Application filed .Tune 4,

This invention' pertains to a device for supporting and binding the branches of fruit trees and the like so that they will be held substantially rigid in strong winds..

It is a source of great loss to orchardists when strong winds shake their fruit trees and cause the fruit to fall to the ground, 1n inany instances in an unripened condition, Such fallen fruit has practically no comlo niercial value and thus represents a loss to the orchardist.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a strap whichjsadapted to b e wound about a branch of a tree to hold 1t i5 rigidly to a rope which is similarly connected to the other branches .of the tree.-

A further object is to provide a branch binding device which is simple in structure and which may be readily applied by uli- 2o slrilled persons.

` These and other objects are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangenient of parts, hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing, constituting a material part of this disclosure,

andy in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the branches of a tree bound in accordance with this invention.

Figure '2 is a perspective view of the strap. Fi 'u re 3 is a view showing the manner in, whic the strap is attached to a branch of a tree.

Figure 4 is a view showing a step in the process of attaching a strap to a branch.

Figure 5 shows a modified form of strap which may he used. l

Figure 6 is a plan ,view showing another modification of the invention.

shown a strap 7 which has a plurality of perforations at each end. Positioned intermediate of the length of the strap and nearer the end 9 than the end 10, is a.wire 11 twisted about the strap, and having its ends 12 and 13 bent in opposite directions so that they may be readily engaged'by perforations in the strap.

In operation, the lo'ng end 10 of the strap is wound about a branch of a tree and the Referring to the drawings, in Figure 2 is, without departing from the general scope 1928. Serial No. 282,541.

end 13 ofthe wire 11 passed through one of the perfoations 8 in the end 10 of the strap. The short end 9 of the strap isthen passed around a rope 14 and under` end l0of the strap so that the end 12 ofthe wire may 55 engage a perforation 8 inthe end 9 of the strap. See Figures 3 and 4.

The rope 14 is passed from branch to branch of the tree, each branch being provided with a strap 7 and in this manner all 60 of the branches of the tree are held rigidly together so that they will not sway sepa-- rately in winds. 4

In Figure 5 is shown a modified form of strap, in which a strap 7 is provided with` 65 a plurality of perfonations and has a short end 9 and a long end 10. The wire 11 is yshown inV Figure 2 but as shown in Figure 5,

the/same is replaced by a buckle 20 having prongs 21 and 22 corresponding to ends 12 and 13 of wire 11.

In the modification shown in Figure 6, a piece of rope 17 has looped extremities engaged by the bent over portions 23 of the stra s 19 and 20, the latter corresponding to te portions 9 and 10 of the strap shown in Figure 2. Straps 19 and 20 are provided with holes 18 and 18 and wire hooks 21 and 22, respectively. In application, the rope section 17 is wound around a branch' and the straps 19 and 2O are passed around a rope 14, this wire hook 22 passing through `the holes18 in strap 19 and the hook 21 entering the holes 18 in strap 20.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, ,of which obviously anl embodiment may be constructed, `including many modifications,

herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 'is:-

1. A device for rigidly holding a branch` of a tree to a binding rope, comprising a strap having a series of perforations at each of its ends, and a wire twisted about an intermediate portion of the strap, the ends of 100 the wire being bent in opposite directions wire twisted about the strap and positioned so that 4they may be conveniently passed4 near the short end of the strap, and means l0 throuvh perforations in the strap. associated with the strap for connecting the 2. device for rigidly holding a branch ends o f'the straps to the ends of the wire. 5 of a tree. to a binding ro e, comprising a In witness whereof I have affixed my sigstrap having a short en adapted to be nature. passed around a rope, and a long end adapted to bel passed around a branch of a tree, a ADELBERT OSWALD MUELLER. 

